Majid Sharif, translator and author, found dead after disappearing for four days

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(WiPC/IFEX) - WiPC reports that Majid Sharif, aged about 45, left his homeon 20 November 1998 and his family lost sight of his whereabouts. On 24November they were summoned to identify his body in a morgue in Tehran.While it is at present unclear what occurred, there are fears that hisdisappearance and death may be connected to his calls in his writings for amore modern interpretation of Islam.

WiPC is expressing concern having learned of Sharif's death. A writer,translator and devout Muslim, he was a key member of a group calling itself"The Committee for Research into the books of Dr. Shariati." Shariati, whodied during the time of the Shah, was a Sorbonne-educated universitylecturer and Islamic scholar who advocated a more modern approach to Islamand a separation of religion and state. After the revolution which broughtthe Ayatollah Khomeini to power, Shariati's books were all banned. Sharif,through his work with the Committee, called on the Iranian government tomake them freely available once more.

Sharif was author of several books. One of these, entitled "Islam WithoutDemocracy", argues that the time has come for Islamic communities to embracedemocracy. He translated books and poems, including the works of KhalilGiran. He also wrote essays onpolitical and sociological topics for an influential journal called "IranFarda" ("Iran Tomorrow").

Earlier this year, when several magazines were closed down and journalistsarrested, Sharif was summoned repeatedly by the Ministry of Information forquestioning. He nevertheless continued with his work.

On Friday, 20 November, a holiday, he left home. One report suggests hemeant to travel to the mountains near Tehran to go walking, another that heintended to go on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mashad. On 24 November, amortuary in Tehran contacted a colleague of his and he and Sharif's familywere asked to come and identify his body. The body bore no signs of beatingor torture. A story in the official press suggests he had suffered a heartattack, but the literary community in Iran is calling for a fullinvestigation into his disappearance and death.

Recommended Action

Send appeals to the President:

expressing concern at Sharif's death in mysterious circumstances

expressing the fear that his case may be reminiscent of that of anothertranslator, Ahmad Miralai (who was found dead after disappearing in 1995,see IFEX alerts of 29 October 1996 and 30 November 1995), and noting thathis body was found only two days after the brutal murder of the oppositionactivists Darioush and Parvaneh Forouhar

calling on him to order a prompt and exhaustive inquiry and, should itemerge that foul play was indeed involved, to arrest those responsible andbring them to justice, in order to assuage the natural alarm and suspicionaroused by Sharif's sudden death, and ensure that other writers andcommentators on events in Iran are not chilled into silence

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